Cotton-topper.



No. 852.715. PATENTED MAY '7, 1907.

TLK. GRIFFITH. COTTON TOPPER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.25, 1907.

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PATENTED MAY 7, 1907.

T. K. GRIFFITH.

. COTTON TOPPER. APPLIQATION FILED PEB.25, 1907.

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THOMAS K. GRIFFITH, OF NOOONA, TEXAS.

COTTON-TOPPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

iratentect May '7, 1907.

Application filed February 25, 1907. Serial No. 359,124..

To (d7 whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs K. GRIFFITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at N ocona, county of Montague, and State of Texas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Toppers, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to an agricultural implement and more particularlyto devices for clipping the tops of cotton plants to pre vent the plantsfrom growing too high. It is well known that when cotton plants grow toofast and grow too high, they do not fruit Well. l/Vhen the tops areclipped they spread more, Large more branches to bear fruit or cottonThe object of my invention is to provide simple and inexpensive devicesfor clipping the tops of cotton any desirable height.

Other objects and advantages will be fully explained in the followingdescription and the invention will be more particularly pointed out inthe claims.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of thisapplication and specification.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a wheeled carriage with my invention appliedthereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a frontelevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a wheeled carriagewith my invention applied thereto, but showing a variation in the mannerof mounting the invention on the carriage. Fig. 5 is a perspective viewof the yoke shown in Fig. 4.

Similar characters of reference indicate the same parts throughout theseveral views.

The topping devices herein set forth will be shown attached to ormounted on an ordinary cultivator frame, as the devices can be readilyattached to a cultivator frame. The carriage has wheels 1 and 2, an axle3, a tongue 4, and hounds 5. The cutting devices are a blade 6 and arotary toothed knife 7. A yoke S is mounted on and rigidly clamped onthe tongue 4. A shaft 9 is journaled in the lower part of the yoke S andthe rotary knife 7 is mounted on a spindle 10 which may be secured in orformed integral with the yoke 8. A bevel gear wheel 11 is made rigidwith the rotary knife 7 and a bevel gear wheel 12 is mounted on shaft 9to drive the wheel 11. The blade 6 may be bolted to the yoke 8 and tothe tongue 4. The shaft is driven by means of power derived from themovement of the cultivator carriage. A sprocket wheel 13 is mounted onthe axle 3 and made rigid with the wheel 1 of the cultivator carriage. Asprocket wheel 14 is mounted on shaft 9. A sprocket chain 15 is mountedon the sprocket wheels 13 and 14 for transmitting the power of wheel 1to the shaft 9. It will be seen that when the cultivator carriage ismoved the cutting devices will operate.

Figs. 4 and 5- show a variation in the manner of mounting the cuttingdevices. The yoke 17 is constructed with a vertical portion which has aseries of holes to receive a U- bolt 16 which is made to clamp the yoke17 to the tongue 4 by means of nuts 18 which engage the ends of theU-bolt. The blade 6 may be attached to the yoke 17 in any suitablemanner. The yoke 17 has an arm 19 Which has a spindle formed thereon forsupporting the rotary knife 7. The shaft 9 is journaled in the lowerpart of the yoke 17. The yoke 17 maybe adjusted vertically by placingthe U-bolt 16 in different holes in the vertical portion of said yoke.The blade 6 is mounted. stationary on the yoke and the knife 7 rotatesand co-operatcs with the blade 6 somewhat as the two blades of a pair ofscissors. As the cultivator moves along the tops of the cotton arecaught by the rotary knife 7 and brought toward the blade 6 and the topsare cut as the teeth of the rotary knife are about to pass under theblade 6.

Having fully described my invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is,

1. A cotton topper comprising a wheeled truck provided with a tongue, ayoke mounted on said tongue, a blade attached to said yoke and saidtongue, a rotary knife mounted on said yoke and co-operating with saidblade, a bevel gear wheel rigid with said rotary knife, a shaftjournaled in said yoke and carrying a bevel gear wheel for driving saidfirst-named gear-wheel, and means for transmitting the power of thetruck wheels to said shaft.

2. A cotton topper comprising a wheeled truck provided with a tongue, ayoke attached to said. tongue and carrying a vertical spindle, a rotaryknife mounted on said spindle, a blade attached to said yoke andcooperating with said knife, a bevel gear wheel mounted on said spindleand rigid with said knife, a shaft ournaled in said yoke and carrying abevel gear wheel for driving said first-named. gear wheel, and meansfortransmitting the power of the truck wheels to said carrying a bevel gearWheel for driving said shaft. knife, and means for transmitting thepower 3. A cotton topper comprising a wheeled of the truck wheels tosaid shaft. truck provided with a tongue, a vertically In testimonywhereof, I set my hand in the 5 adjustable yoke attached to said tongueand presence of two witnesses, this 12th day of I 5 having an armprovided with a spindle, a ro- February, 1907,.

tary knife having a bevel gear Wheel rigid THOMAS K. GRIFFITH. therewithmounted on said spindle, a blade I/Vitnesses attached to said yoke andco-operating with J. M. ROWLAND,

[0 said knife, a shaft journaled in said yoke and W. M. ROLES.

